New local COVID-19 cases decline but death toll grows
A resident receives a PCR test during the latest round of screenings.
The number of discharged COVID-19 patients in Shanghai has exceeded that of the city's daily new coronavirus cases for the first time, according to the Shanghai Health Commission.
A total of 23,286 recovered patients were discharged from local designated or makeshift hospitals on Monday, compared to 19,442 newly confirmed and asymptomatic cases detected on the same day, said Wu Qianyu, a senior official with the health commission.
The number of new COVID-19 cases on Monday also declined by nearly 2,000 from that of the previous day. Among them, 216 confirmed and 334 asymptomatic cases were detected during the city's nucleic acid screenings, according to Wu. Other new cases have already been put under central quarantine as close contacts or other risky groups.
However, the city reported seven new deaths among its COVID-19 patients on Monday, bringing the total since the resurgence in March to 10.
Seven elderly COVID-19 patients between the ages of 60 and 101 died of severe underlying diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cerebral hemorrhage. None had been vaccinated.
Shanghai is conducting daily polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing through Thursday in locked-down areas that have had positive cases within the past week.
On Wednesday, all residents in locked down and controlled areas are taking PCR tests, Shanghai Executive Vice Mayor Wu Qing said.
Since mid-April, more than 37 million PCR tests have been conducted across the city as part of the city's "early detection and early quarantine" strategy to control the pandemic as quickly as possible, according to the vice mayor.
Medics offer door-to-door testing for an elderly citizen.
5 million tubes per day
With the help of medical and PCR testing teams from across the country, Shanghai has been able to test about five million tubes of nucleic acid samples every day.
On April 16, for instance, about 25,000 sample-collection medics took part in the massive nucleic acid screenings, half of whom are from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and other provinces. More than 2,000 vehicles have been transporting samples across the city, Wu said.
The vice mayor apologized to citizens for inconveniences during the previous PCR screenings.
"We will keep improving services and publicize testing plans in a timely manner, while enhancing the quality and efficiency of the screenings," he said.
For Wednesday's and Thursday's screenings, staff will collect nucleic acid samples door-to-door in buildings where any positive cases have been detected over the past five days.
Those in controlled areas have been asked to take antigen self-tests on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday along with a PCR test on Wednesday.
People in precautionary areas will take two antigen self-tests within a week.
The vice mayor said the government will organize experts to analyze the results of each round of screenings and determine which areas should have additional PCR testing.
Hu Xiaobo, director of the Shanghai Center for Clinical Laboratory, said that daily PCR testing is designed to detect infections in incubation periods with viral loads that are too low to result in positive results in a single testing.
To further promote knowledge on COVID-19 prevention and control, an e-book with 100 common questions and issues covering virus information, disinfection, vaccine, health management, self protection, TCM treatment, mental health, home quarantine is released by Shanghai Health Promotion Office, health officials said.
The book can be downloaded from http://fangyishouce.xl18z.com/fangyishouce/mobile/index.html.
A PCR testing lab in the Pudong New Area
